THE COMMON HERON. 33 



drawn, probably in obedience to the old birds flying over- 

 head. Knowing that by now they might be able to fly, 

 I climbed up very cautiously, but the moment my head 

 came within their view the youngsters, which had been 

 crouching low in the nest, sprang to their feet and 

 flapped headlong forth. The two most forward were 

 now well on the wing, and had little difiiculty in reaching 

 a neighbouring tree. A third hesitated in taking flight, 

 and though eventually he tried to fly, dared not loose 

 his foothold on the branches, and so, instead of flying 

 outwards as intended, he simply swung round head down- 

 wards, his anchored feet acting as a pivot. 



If before he was afraid to let go his hold, he had good 

 cause to cling tightly now, and he hung there head down, 

 like a bat, panting with fear. For several minutes at 

 a time he would keep still, then followed a violent 

 burst of flapping, during which he struggled hard to 

 get his bill hooked over the branch his feet were on ; 

 but it was no use, his legs were far too long, he simply 

 could not reach it. His feet, unlike a Tit's, were never 

 meant for such acrobatics, and his grasp, at the best but 

 weak, now gave out, and he fell flapping some ten feet 

 or more, catching among some lower branches. Here 

 he remained until a movement on my part again scared 

 him, and this time, trusting to his wings, he took flight, 

 joining his brothers in the opposite tree. 



The fourth was more timid than even this last had 

 been, and dared not try his wings at all, but edging 

 sideways along the branches as far away as possible, sat 

 there fearfully regarding me (Plate 24). Meantime the 

 three others in the neighbouring tree had been climbing 

 about, and now catching sight of another nest near to 

 them were eagerly making for it. The position of this 

 nest happens to be indicated on Plate 21, and can, per- 

 haps, be made out in the extreme right-hand top corner. 

 It looks like a small thickening in the branches and, as 

 a guide, some of the whitened sticks of the nest are showing, 



